Sequels and franchises are killing the industry, right? With so few original titles of note on the market this Christmas, some people are complaining that gaming simply isn't as exciting as it used to be. I mean, one is much like the next, each update is more or lass identical to the last. If you believe all of that, then you might also think that if you already own Burnout 2 then there's little point in getting this third instalment. Is this you? If it is, then bow your head in shame my child, for Burnout 3 is as far from a by-the-numbers update as you can feasibly get.

You're probably aware by now that Burnout 3 is really quite special. Some have even been calling it the greatest game ever made. That's one hell of a claim. With the likes of 3 and Project Gotham Racing 2 out there, the racing genre has plenty of AAA quality titles available. Whilst your opinion on whether Burnout 3 is the king of racing crop is somewhat dependent on whether you're an arcade or simulation fan, one thing is undoubtedly beyond question - Burnout 3 is THE most intense 4-wheel experience known to man.

As I glance down to my notepad I can't help but notice one particular thing - it's really quite empty. Is this a sign that I'm an incompetent reviewer? Perhaps, but I challenge you to play Burnout 3 and still find time to stop and make notes. Once in it's grip, this game infects you, owns you, infuses you with that "one more go" mentality with a that I've never before experienced with a game, outside of maybe the Master League in Pro Evolution Soccer. On paper Burnout 3 does appear to be much the same as it's predecessor and in many ways it is. But think of it like this; Marco from Big Brother is much like Vin Diesel in that they both have two arms, two legs, a head and no hair. However, one of them is a weedy tool whilst the other is a muscle-bound powerhouse. Burnout 3 is like Burnout 2 after a heavy course of steroids and LSD with the volume turned up to maximum.

The most fundamental difference is the shift of focus. Whereas before the largest rewards were to be gained from driving through oncoming traffic and generally taking risks, now the focus is firmly on taking out your fellow racers. Sure, your boost meter will slowly grow as you drift on the wrong side of the road, but take out an opposing and not only will your boost bar immediately max out but it will also grow in size. It's a fantastic evolution for the series that amounts to a far more significant shift in play than the simple description might suggest. Get taken out yourself and you're introduced to yet another new feature - Impact Time. Does it involve a bullet-time-esque slowdown? Yes, I'm afraid so. Stop, don't hit me! It works this time, really! Holding down the A button slows everything down and using the left analogue stick you're able to subtly direct the flight of your steaming wreckage with the aim of taking as much out as possible. Take out another driver and you'll still respawn with a rather juicy boost meter.

Takedowns themselves are handled quite superbly. Forget the rather feeble shunting employed in Burnout 2 - now we're talking proper destruction and unbelievable carnage. To begin with you'll probably have the most success simply boosting into any unfortunate sap daft enough to be hugging the wall. Watching them catapult above you as you boost off at 190mph is a real joy. After a while you'll begin to get more cunning. Maybe you'll nudge a fellow racer into one of the pillars that feature heavily on the tracks, or perhaps guide them into the broad rear of an articulated lorry on a Far East course. Better still, why not kindly direct them into one of the trams on a European circuit? Either way, watching their superbly modelled racer shatter into a hundred pieces and fall back to the ground in a mangled wreck vaguely reminiscent of the motor you were battling with only moments before is absolutely thrilling.